Everything is changing in the Arctic. Polar bears are losing prime feeding and breeding grounds. Fish that populated warmer waters are now being observed migrating north. Temperate forests are springing from thawing tundra. But it's not just the environment that's being affected, economy is starting to look a little stranger for places like Greenland.

First of all, melting ice makes it much easier to access timber and minerals there – especially lead, nickel, zinc and magnesium. Also, fossil fuels are much more exposed to exploitation (is the irony of utilizing global warming to extract more things that cause global warming lost on anyone?) In the realm of agriculture, Greenland is seeing once-barren soil sprout broccoli, hay and potatoes, among other things.

Climate change contrarians will say, “Oh, see! Global warming is good for us!” (uh, what happened to the argument that it's not happening?) The fact is, not all symptoms of global warming are going to be detrimental for us in the short run. Historically cooler places might see farming booms and benefit from them greatly. Greenland will probably benefit from growing more food and even the opening of the Northwest Passage for shipping last summer may change livelihoods in that area. But implying that a few benefits make overall climate change not so bad is absurd, at best.

I will enjoy a longer growing season, just as Greenland does. But the trade off of having unpredictable fires, droughts and sea rise just doesn't logically fit the cost-benefit calculation.

Source: Foreign Affairs

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